


A Simple Love

by misCOWculation



Series: Those Bygone Years [4]
Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Fluff without Plot, Friendship, Friendship/Love, Male-Female Friendship, No Angst, Romance, Shoujo, Tooth-Rotting Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-11
Updated: 2020-05-11
Packaged: 2021-03-02 23:29:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 8,337
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24125167
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/misCOWculation/pseuds/misCOWculation
Summary: Iwaizumi Hajime, Aoi Minako, and Okabe Yui spend their high school days exploring the magic in the mundane. They grow to appreciate the simple things in life, including each other.A short, plotless companion fic to My Kindergarten Bully.
Relationships: Iwaizumi Hajime/Original Female Character(s), Oikawa Tooru/Original Female Character(s)
Series: Those Bygone Years [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/980907
Kudos: 3





	1. a territory war in the Okabe household

_Sometimes, you just have to enjoy the simple things in life._

* * *

**i. a territory war in the Okabe household**

"Ah..." Aoi Minako looked up from her book to see her friend and classmate. A history buff, Aoi almost always had her nose buried between a textbook about Japan's warring states era. "Reading up on the Sengoku period again, Minacchi?"

Smiling, Aoi pushed up her glasses a little. With mousy brown hair and wide eyes, she was a smart little thing and the teachers' favorite. "You bet, Okayui-chan. How are you, by the way? Have a nice weekend?"

"Mm..." Okabe Yui smiled lazily. At just above five-and-a-half feet tall, she had a few inches on Aoi. But unlike her friend, Yui was blessed with no need for vision correction, and had hair a darker shade of brown. It barely reached past her shoulders, and she had part of her bangs clipped lazily aside. "It was pretty nice... but I think mom's going crazy."

Alarmed, Aoi sat up. "Yeah?"

"Yeah. She's totally convinced grandma's out to get her."

"Sorry?"

"Like, y'know... Replace her as head of the house. That stuff. Aren't you supposed to be a Sengoku era expert?"

Aoi deadpanned. "A Sengoku era expert is one thing, an Okabe family expert is another."

Yui laughed. "You're so funny, Minacchi."

"Thanks, I try. Now what's this about your grandma trying to 'get' your mom?"

"Right. So, like," Yui continued as the rest of the class poured inside and took their seats. Their teacher would be here soon for homeroom. "Grandma keeps walking around the house and farting."

"... What?"

"Yep. Farting."

"I... Okayui-chan..."

At that moment, Iwaizumi Hajime pulled out his seat. The vice-captain of the boy's volleyball team and plenty buff to boot, he sat behind Aoi, who sat behind Yui. "Good morning," he greeted politely. He was never one to hang out with them outside of class, but they considered him a friend anyway. They also considered him the manliest student in the school, but he didn't need to hear that from them. "How are you two?"

"Oh, pretty good, Iwaizumi-san," Yui said immediately. "I was just telling Minacchi about it. Wanna hear?"

Iwaizumi shrugged. "Sure."

"That was a mistake," Aoi sighed.

"Anyway, so, like, grandma keeps walking around the house farting, yeah?"

Iwaizumi blinked. "I'm sorry, what?"

"Basically, Okayui-chan's grandma is threatening her mom by walking around the house and farting," Aoi summarized. "I think," she tacked on uncertainly.

"Oh, no, no, you're correct, Minacchi." Yui beamed, pleased that her friend had been paying attention. She began to clap. "Very good."

Iwaizumi laughed then. "Okay, Okabe-san, keep going."

"Alright. By farting everywhere, mom thinks she's trying to, like, annex her territory. It's, like, a display of dominance. Especially because grandma's farts are _super_ stinky. Mom's farts are pretty bad, too, but she's got _nothing_ on grandma. But mom doesn't want to give up without a fight, so she bought lots of beans so she can fight back. Now the entire house just stinks. So, yeah. That was my weekend."

"I have no words," Iwaizumi admitted honestly, unable to fight off a grin.

"Neither," chimed Aoi.

It was then the bell rang, and class began.

* * *

"Iwa-chan." Oikawa stared at his best friend, eyebrows creased in a frown. "You're... smiling."

The team were changing in the club room, and the place was buzzing with chatter.

Iwaizumi rolled his eyes. "You don't have to make it sound so weird."

"But you never smile!"

"Who says, huh?! Shitty bastard..."

"Not like this." Oikawa gasped. "Are you... thinking about a girl?!"

The memory of Okabe Yui recounting her smelly weekend yesterday morning was too much for him to handle. He snorted an ugly laugh, which he tried to disguise as a cough. "Yeah," he chuckled. "I guess you could say that. But don't get any weird ideas, Shittykawa, I can see the gears in your head turning."

To Iwaizumi's horror, Oikawa began to sniffle. "Iwa-chan... Iwa-chan is growing up!"

A vein popped in his cheek as he felt the stares of their teammates needling his back. "I'll sock you one, bastard!"


	2. the hunt for the silver stars (1)

**ii. the hunt for the silver stars (1)**

"Minacchi, look!" Yui unfurled a poster and put it on Aoi's desk. The girl in question lowered her gaze to examine it. "They're introducing Star Bread to the cafeteria!"

"Uh, yeah. I can see that. What about it?"

But Yui had spotted Iwaizumi coming in, and was waving him over. "Ah! Iwaizumi-san, excellent timing. I need your help for this afternoon."

"Okabe-san? What's all this about?" Iwaizumi asked, stopping in front of Aoi's desk.

"Star Bread's coming to the cafeteria. And it's limited sale four per person, so I'll need you guys' help."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Aoi interrupted. "What exactly do you want to do with so much bread?"

Yui flapped a hand at her dismissively. "I don't really care about the bread. It's what's inside that matters."

Aoi and Iwaizumi exchanged a glance.

Then Iwaizumi asked tentatively, "What do you...?"

"It's called Star Bread for a reason." Yui grinned impishly, steepling her fingers. "Each packet comes with a golden star sticker. But some very rare packages have silver star stickers. The first to collect seven gets a wish!"

"Is this _Dragon Ball_?"

"No, this is Okabe's Seven Deadly Stars!"

"Stop making stupid references," groaned Aoi. "Fine, I'll help you, but don't force Iwaizumi-san to buy you bread..."

"Actually," Iwaizumi said. "I was planning to buy some for myself and Oikawa. So we can give you the stars if you want, Okabe-san."

"That'd be very excellent," Yui said approvingly. She beamed at him. "Thanks a lot, Iwaizumi-san!"

"No problem." Iwaizumi gave her a thumbs-up before going a bit further back to his own desk. The bell rang just as the homeroom teacher walked in, officially commencing class.

* * *

"I! Wa! Chan!"

"Stop yapping, I already know what you want," Iwaizumi snarked as they lined up at the cafeteria line. "You're gonna get fat from eating so much bread, Shittykawa."

Oikawa gasped. "Don't say such a thing!"

"Uh huh." Iwaizumi dug his wallet out of his pocket as they got closer to the front. Like a long, lazy cat, Oikawa had draped himself over Iwaizumi's broad shoulders.

"I miss Mako-chan," Oikawa bemoaned when the freckled-faced boy in front of them was counting his change.

"She's on her end-of-year club field trip, right?"

"Guuuhhhh..."

Iwaizumi brought his hand up to smack Oikawa's cheek. "Oi. Stop whining already. She'll be back next Monday. Also, get off. You're heavy."

"You really don't know how to comfort people, do you, Iwa-chan? You're supposed to offer _sympathy_."

"You make it hard for me to offer any _sympathy_."

"Iwaizumi-san!" Yui's voice rang out across the cafeteria, making both boys turn. She had already gotten a table. She signed something to them that left Oikawa perplexed, but Iwaizumi nodded.

Oikawa blinked. "Iwa-chan, you have friends besides me?"

"What was that?"

"Ehh, I didn't mean it that way! Who is that girl? She's cute. Is she your girlfriend?" Oikawa's voice became muffled when Iwaizumi palmed the brunet's face in a forceful attempt to stop him from blabbering.

"Be quiet. We're just classmates, okay?"

"Seems like more than classmates to me—"

"Next waiting!" the lunch lady shouted.

"We'll talk about this later," Oikawa promised in a whisper.

"Like hell we will."


	3. the hunt for the silver stars (2)

**iii. the hunt for the silver stars (2)**

Yui was practically vibrating in excitement as she regarded the pile of bread she and Aoi had purchased on the table. Soon, Iwaizumi would come over and add his bread to the pile, too, and she was looking forward to opening them all up together.

Aoi, as per usual, had her nose buried in a history textbook. Yui tilted her head, checking the cover. Or not. It was the diary of a dead general from the Sengoku era. More interesting than her usual reading material, but dry nevertheless.

Straightening, Yui lit up when she saw Iwaizumi making his way through the crowd with a lunch tray, which was occupied by a bowl of teriyaki chicken udon and the bread he had promised. "Ah, Iwaizumi-san!"

Aoi looked up from her book, her expression souring almost instantly when she saw just who was with him. "Oh, _great_. It's that _pretty boy_."

"Eh?" Yui glanced at her friend, a smile on her face. "You mean Oikawa-san? They're best friends, Minacchi! Did you know that?"

"Oh, I know that. And believe me when I say that Iwaizumi-san can definitely do better."

"Ehh? You think so?"

"Okabe-san, Aoi-san," Iwaizumi said in lieu of greeting as he sat down, lowering his tray on the table. Beside him, Oikawa was chewing on some Star Bread. He smiled and waved, only for Aoi to glower at him. "Do you guys mind if Oikawa sits here, too?"

"Yes," said Aoi.

"Nah," Yui said at the same time.

Oikawa laughed lightly, rubbing the back of his head and sitting down beside Iwaizumi. "Pardon the intrusion. We've never talked before, have we? I'm Oikawa Tooru."

Aoi's lips pressed in a thin, disapproving line. "I'm Aoi Minako," she said curtly, lifting her book higher to cover her face from him.

Smiling slyly, Oikawa turned to Yui, who had sat through Aoi's tense introduction with a pleasant, almost oblivious demeanor. "And you're..."

"Oh! Sorry, I'm Okabe Yui. It's nice to meet you, Oikawa-san."

Aoi harrumphed. "Yeah. Nice to meet you."

Oikawa was still wearing a smile, though it had half-transformed into a smirk. He looked at her. "Sorry, Aoi-san, but have I done something to offend you?"

"Shittykawa," Iwaizumi warned.

"Ahh, I can probably explain," Yui said, still relaxed. "You're just _so_ not Minacchi's type, y'know? Minacchi likes guys who puppy-like and soft. Totally loyal to her. You're kinda flirtatious, aren't you, Oikawa-san?"

"You make it sound like I want a dog, not a boyfriend!" Aoi exclaimed, horrified. "Besides, that's not the reason at all! I don't like this guy because... because he doesn't deserve her!"

"Who?" Iwaizumi, Oikawa, and Yui all asked in unison.

"Who else? Makoshima Naoko!" Aoi slammed her book down on the table. "How are you even dating her? She's the most terrifying underclassman ever! How did you get her to look twice at you when I can't get the totally average guy that I like to even look _once_ at me?"

"Th-this is an even worse reason!" cried Yui and Oikawa.

Iwaizumi seemed baffled. "Aoi-san... you're jealous of this guy?"

"More like I'm envious of how the world always seems to turn with him." Aoi sat back, crossing her arms and sighing through her nose. "Sorry. I know this is horrible, but..." She stood with her lunch tray, sighing irritably. "Sorry for disturbing the peace. I'll leave you guys to it."

"Minacchi, wait!" Yui called after her, but the bespectacled girl was gone. "Minacchi..." She started to stand, but Oikawa got up first.

"Don't worry," he promised, taking another bite out of his bread, "I'll go after her."

"You better not say anything shitty," Iwaizumi threatened.

"Have some faith in me, Iwa-chan~!"

* * *

"So..." Iwaizumi trailed off, awkwardly fiddling with the peel of his mandarin. He'd never spoken to Yui one-on-one before—the dynamic had always included Aoi in the mix.

"So," Yui repeated. She unwrapped another bread, the third last one in the pile. "Shoot. Another golden star. I haven't gotten a single silver star so far..."

He would never admit it out loud, but there was something attractive about Yui that he couldn't quite describe. It wasn't as if she were ugly—if she'd just comb her hair a little, she would have been stunning, though—but this attraction was something different. And, as he pretended to be occupied with his food, it was bothering him more than he had anticipated.

 _Shit. Why the hell am I like this?_ Frustrated, Iwaizumi reached for the last bread in the wrapped pile, something in his brain short-circuiting when Yui's hand landed on top of his. He glanced up to meet her wide-eyed gaze.

Then she leaned back, a smile on her face. "You beat me."

He blinked. "What?"

"Hm? You get the honor of opening the last one, Iwaizumi-san."

 _Fuck._ "Right." Hastily, he unwrapped it to hear Yui gasp in delight.

"Iwaizumi-san, you did it! It's a silver star!"

 _What do you know?_ Iwaizumi held up the sticker. _So it is._ He passed it to Yui, who was grinning. "Here."

"The first one," Yui marveled, holding it up high as if it were something very special. "I'll treasure it forever. Well," she reconsidered, "Until I mail it to the bread company for the prize."

"Prize?" Iwaizumi parroted. "So you actually get something from this?"

"Seven of 'em, yeah. It's just a small prize, but... I wasn't kidding about the wish you know."

Iwaizumi popped open a carton of milk that he had bought along with his lunch of chicken curry and Star Bread. "What is it, anyway? Your wish."

But Yui merely put a finger to her lips, a mysterious smile on her face. "That would be telling, Iwaizumi-san. Anyway! Let's go find Minacchi and Oikawa-san. I hope they're both still intact."

"Intuition says that Oikawa isn't," Iwaizumi said immediately.

"Same. Minacchi could totally tear him apart if she wanted to. She threw one of her history books at a guy once because he dog-eared the page before returning it to her."

Iwaizumi barked a laugh. "Of course she did."


	4. the hunt for the silver stars (3)

**iv. the hunt for the silver stars (3)**

"Hey, can I join you?"

Sighing, Aoi Minako picked at the food on her tray, which she had sat upon her lap. "Go ahead," she said dully, her eyes shifting to the left as Oikawa sat beside her, seemingly at ease with the world. with his close-eyed smile.

Then he turned to look at her, wry. "What's your real issue with me, Aoi-san?"

"What do you mean?" she asked tautly, her hand tightening around her chopsticks. "I told you already, didn't I?"

"Didn't seem like it."

Aoi gave him a strange look. "But that's literally it."

There was a beat.

Then—

"You were being serious?!"

"Well, yeah!"

Oikawa pointed at her, almost accusingly. "I thought you were trying to divert attention from that fact that you're totally in love with me!"

"WHAT?! Are you insane?!"

In the distance, Iwaizumi and Yui stood together, the former looking mildly exasperated as Oikawa ducked to avoid having a milk carton thrown at him.

"Oh, thank god!" shouted Oikawa to the sky, as if he were praising the heavens. "I thought I'd have to cruelly let you down!"

"STOP TALKING, YOU BASTARD!"

* * *

"Yay~!" Yui cheered as she walked to school, Aoi by her side. The latter girl yawned, removing her glasses for a moment to rub her eyes. In Yui's hands was a simple envelope containing seven silver stars. The address was to the bread company.

"Always so cheerful in the morning," commented Aoi, smiling fondly before yawning once more. "I wish I had even an ounce of your energy, Okayui-chan."

"Aw, you should see me when I just get up! Sometimes, it's up to my mom or big brother to yank me outta bed. Oh!" Spotting a mailbox, Yui ran toward it, Aoi following close behind. The bespectacled girl blinked, noticing something unusual on Yui's backpack. "There," Yui said as she put her letter into the box, satisfied. "My prize should arrive in two weeks!"

"That's great and all, Okayui-chan, but what's that on your bag?" Aoi poked the silver star that the other girl had stuck onto the front pocket of her backpack.

"Oh, that?" Yui beamed. "It's the first star."

They continued their walk to school.

"Huh? So you found eight stars instead? Why didn't you just use the first seven?"

"Well... the first star..." Yui laughed, putting her arms around her head. She thought of him then—Iwaizumi unwrapping the bread packet and giving the sticker to her. "Let's just say it came from someone special."

 _Someone special?_ Aoi thought, trying to just think of who this person could be. She went through every boy in her class, but found that Yui treated them all the same. _I wonder who it could be..._ Then it hit her. _Wait... Could it be...? No way!_

Yui tilted her head when she noticed Aoi staring blankly at the concrete. "What's up, Minacchi?"

"Ah! Er, nothing." Aoi grinned at her, genuine and teasing. "I just hope it works out for you, that's all." She slapped the girl's back. "Wanna go shopping after? A new book store just opened up at J-Mall."

"Ooh! Sure thing!"

Wrapping her winter coat closer around her, a sad little smile found its way onto her lips. Soon, in February, they would be graduating. There wasn't much time for her high school days left—but she vowed to live life as vigorously as she could while it still lasted.


	5. the return of Makoshima Naoko

**v. the return of Makoshima Naoko**

Before he even got out of bed, Iwaizumi knew that Oikawa was going to be especially annoying today. His thoughts were confirmed when Oikawa gave him the smuggest smile ever as he approached him.

"Alright," Iwaizumi let out a long-suffering sigh, "I _know_ she's coming back today, so please don't blast it in my ear."

"Why, Iwa-chan!" Oikawa gasped, mock-offended. "I would never. I'm not so cruel as to show off my beautiful girlfriend when my best friend remains without one—"

Iwaizumi swatted him upside the head. "I actually hate you right now."

Oikawa smiled impishly. "This spot is sorer than usual. Oh, that's right—you do have a girl, don't you? Or at least someone you like. Okabe-chan, right?"

His best friend glared at him, face starting to redden. He told himself it was because of the cold. "Shut _up_."

"Ahaha! You totally do! You cannot hide it from me, the great Oikawa-sama— _gyak_! I'm _sorry_ , Iwa-chan!"

* * *

Her name was Akizuki Sakurako, and she was—to plainly say it— _jealous_. Her lip curled unpleasantly as she stabbed her chopsticks into her sushi, eyeballing the table where Oikawa was sitting with his best friend and two _girls_.

 _Who are those two whores?!_ she seethed silently to herself. _The one on the left doesn't even comb her hair properly, the one on the right should pluck her fucking eyebrows and get some damn contact lenses before she even_ thinks _of speaking to Oikawa!_

"Um, Sakurako-chan?" her best friend, Beppu Marina, said. "Are you okay?"

"Bee-chan, just look," Sakurako hissed, not exactly being discreet as she pointed her chopsticks in their direction. "Look at those damn sluts. Sitting with Oikawa-san."

Marina made a face. "Oh, gross. Like, ew, what's up with her hair?"

"Right?!" Sakurako started to stand and pack up her lunch. "Come on—let's go to the bathroom and talk."

So they did, the two girls doing their makeup in the mirror as they gossiped.

"I've seen them hanging out lately," Marina said, sniffing. "Like, who do they think they are? Oikawa-san's too good for them. He should be dating _you_ , Sakurako-chan."

Suddenly, one of the bathroom stalls was kicked open, and the two girls yelped, whipping around to see a black-haired exiting the stall. Before they could even say a word, the girl cocked an eyebrow. "Who the fuck are you gossiping piranhas?"

"Ehh?!" Marina glared at her. "That should be our question!"

"W-wait," Sakurako said, her face paling, but Marina didn't hear her.

Swaggering up to her, Sakurako's blue-haired friend looked the other girl right in the eye. "Who the fuck are you, huh, bitch? Listening to our conversation like that. Ahh!" Marina screamed when the girl's hand suddenly slammed against the wall, trapping her in a kabe-don.

"You think Oikawa would ever like a bitchy cow like you?" the black-haired girl growled, her face inching too close to Marina's for the latter's comfort. "Damn, you delusional bitch. Do you know why I'm telling you these things?" Her mouth grazed Marina's ear. "Because I'm his _girlfriend_." Then she stepped back, moving around Sakurako to wash her hands. After that, she pushed the bathroom door open with her foot, throwing a farewell over her shoulder. "Bye."

Marina's mouth moved, but no words came out.

"M-Makoshima Naoko," Sakurako stammered, white as a sheet. "Second year. I tried to warn you, Bee-chan—"

Suddenly, Marina shouted, her entire face flushing red. "S-senpai!"

"Ehh?! She's younger than us!"

"I don't care! I want her to step on me! Maybe we can still catch up! I'll buy her some chocolate milk to apologize!"

"HUH?!"

In the end, they never did manage to cause any trouble.

* * *

"What the?" Naoko deadpanned at the cutely wrapped present in her locker. Hovering over her shoulder, Oikawa grinned cheekily.

"Look's like _someone's_ got an admirer."

Humming in contemplation, she took out the box and shook it. "Sounds like chocolates. Wanna share these?"

"I'd love to, Mako-chan."


	6. math is important!

**vi. math is important!**

Aoi grimaced to herself as the teacher wrote their math homework on the board—ten pages worth of work due by the end of the week. Math was arguably her worst subject, and it showed in the marks. This year's university entrance exams were coming up too soon for comfort, and she knew she would have to study extremely hard just to even pass the math component.

"Man," Aoi groaned to Iwaizumi and Yui as a ten minute break started—English was next, and though it was hard, she preferred it to math. She took a potato chip snack out of her bag and ripped it open, popping a chip into her mouth. "I hate math. What's the point of it, anyway? It's not like we'll actually need it in real life unless we take pure math in uni."

"That's not true," Yui argued. "Math is super important! Right, Iwaizumi-san?"

Iwaizumi shrugged. "I guess. It's not my favorite subject either, so I don't really have an opinion on it."

"Really? What are you gonna do after high school?"

"I'm not really sure yet."

"My point still stands," Aoi said, a little haughtily. "Math is virtually useless in the real world!"

Pouting, Yui shot back, "Like learning about ancient history is useful!"

"It _is_ useful. 'Those who do not read history are doomed to repeat it'. Santayana George."

"Stop quoting obscure authors!" Angrily, Yui bit into her chocolate taiyaki.

"Ah." Iwaizumi blinked, hand moving to her face. "You have some on your cheek."

Blushing, Yui wiped her face, completely missing the chocolate stain. "Is it gone?"

"It's still there. I'll get it for you."

 _Oh, Yui,_ Aoi sighed internally, trying not to smile as Iwaizumi wiped off the chocolate with the pad of his thumb. _You're so smitten with him._ Her cat-like gaze shifted to Iwaizumi, who seemed to be fighting off the urge to stare at her. _Poor boy. You've reeled him in so bad._ "Well then," she said loudly, making them both turn to her. "If you think math is so important, Okayui-chan, then prove it."

"Fine!" Yui harrumphed. "Just you wait!"

* * *

It was around eleven-thirty that night when Aoi received a photo from her friend. At first, she squinted, unsure of what it was. But then Yui texted a follow-up, and Aoi couldn't help but burst out in laughter.

 **[Okayuki]:** I found a hair in the shower, blew it aside, and it landed on the wall like a cos curve.

Biting her lip to try and contain another laugh, Aoi dialed her number. "Hello? Okayui-chan?"

_"Minacchi!"_

"A hair shaped like a cos curve?! Is that the best you can do?!"

_"Shut up! Stop laughing!"_

"Oh my god, Okayui-chan! Bahaha!"

Across the line, Yui huffed. _"I'm hanging up."_

"No, wait!"

_"Yeah?"_

"Can you help me study for math?" She muffled a giggle. "I'm sorry I laughed at you."

She could picture perfectly Yui's pout. _"... Yeah, okay."_


	7. all the girls i liked

**vii. all the girls i liked**

There had been only a couple of girls in his life that Iwaizumi had liked. His first crush had been one of his neighbors, which was ordinary enough. But then she moved away, and Iwaizumi never saw her again. The second was a spunky first year that had caught his eye in middle school. He'd been a third year then, but that first year—her name was Shiroma Yubin—had been damn cute and exactly his type. He grew out of it eventually, after he graduated and left her behind, and it wasn't until now—near the end of his third year of high school—that he started to like someone again.

Even now, reading a comic book in bed, he couldn't help but think about her. Sighing in frustration, he tossed the book aside and switched off his reading light.

 _Do I really like her?_ he asked himself. _Okabe Yui?_

At first glance, she certainly wasn't the kind of girl he would expect himself to fall for. Air-headed with little regard for social convention, she had certainly carved herself an image among their peers. Almost in spite of herself, she was decently popular, though as far as Iwaizumi knew, her one and only true friend remained Aoi Minako.

It wasn't until recently that he realized that she had been in his class throughout the entirety of high school—which was rare in itself. And now, finally, she had transformed into something more than a classmate to him.

"Shit," he muttered, throwing his blanket over his head. He definitely liked her. But would it ever go anywhere? Iwaizumi was no prince like Oikawa, but he'd had his fair share of girls confessing to him before.

Now was a particularly precarious time. Their high school days would be over soon. Would he ever see her again after graduation? What if she moved across the country, or something equally drastic?

 _Then chase after her, dumbass,_ a voice that sounded strangely like a blend of his own and Oikawa's scolded. _You think you'll get anywhere just sitting here and waiting for something to happen? Don't wait for it._ Make _it happen._

Making a decision, he grabbed his phone from the bedside table and texted the first person he thought could help.

* * *

"Why did you even think this was a good idea?" Naoko asked as she sipped her drink.

Iwaizumi huffed, running one hand through his hair. "You're the only girl that I regularly talk to. And you're dating my best friend, so..." He shrugged.

"Alright. But I'm not sure if I can help you with this."

"How did Oikawa confess to you?" _I bet it was something really flashy that swept her off her wait._ Then he reconsidered the thought. _Then again, she isn't the kind to be blown away by this stuff._

To his utter shock, Naoko began to _blush_. Iwaizumi wasn't sure if he had ever seen her blush before. He hadn't even known that she could get flustered—she had always seemed to unflappable and grounded to him.

"No way," Iwaizumi said, awed.

"Oh, shut up," she mumbled, embarrassed. "It wasn't anything out of this world, but... My god," she buried her face into her hands, "That dumb chihuahua can sure take advantage of a romantic atmosphere." When Naoko looked up again, there was only the faintest pink tinging her cheeks, having mostly recomposed herself. "I don't know her well, but I'm sure if you just tell it to her straight it'll work out. Take her out on a date or something. Dinner? Maybe a walk around the market? Knowing you," Naoko smirked, "She's probably the simple kind."

"As if _you're_ not."

Naoko cleared her throat. "Never said I was or wasn't." She sipped her drink again. "School's almost over, you know. There isn't much time left for us to enjoy our halcyon days."

"Yeah," Iwaizumi said, smiling a little ruefully, "I know."


	8. a mean girl's coming of age

**viii. a mean girl's coming of age**

"Students," the teacher began on a cold morning. It had rained last night, and the courtyard from where Yui could see was wet. "I would like to congratulate you on completing your entrance exams!"

At that, everybody cheered. Some actually threw their books in the air, while others merely put their arms up in delight. Yui reached down to pick up her book, while Aoi and Iwaizumi lowered their hands. Finally—it was over. It was the mark of the end of a chapter in their life, and the upcoming graduation ceremony would be the beginning of the next. For now, though, the third years could simply relax, spending the last two weeks of school in languid bliss.

"We did it!" Yui cried, leaning across her desk to hug Aoi. "Exams are over!"

"No more math!" Aoi practically sobbed.

They waited for Iwaizumi to chime in, but he never did. Instead, he was resting his head on his palm, seemingly deep in thought.

"Iwaizumi-san," Yui suggested, "Why don't we all go out this weekend? To celebrate! We'll bring Oikawa-san and his girlfriend along, too."

That snapped him out of it. "Are you sure?" Iwaizumi said. "Oikawa... he can be a handful, even with Naoko there."

"Of course! We should all hang out together."

He agreed, and three of them discussed times and places to go to on Saturday until the bell rang.

* * *

Today was not a good morning for Yui. She woke up late and rushed out of the house, only to find that she needed to do a tremendous shit on the way to school. Her face almost turning purple, she staggered toward the school gates. _Come on,_ she coached herself, strained. _We're almost there!_

Standing at the vending machines in front of the school were Beppu Marina and Akizuki Sakurako. The two girls gossiped and giggled to themselves, speaking only of other people's business.

"A confession in the snow?" gushed Marina. "Oh my god, Sakurako-chan, that's sooo dreamy! Naoko-sama is so lucky!"

"I know right? But," Sakurako frowned, "Can you stop calling her that? It's not like she's any better than us..."

"Naoko-sama's eyes are so dark and mysterious."

"Bee-chan! Seriously!" It was then Sakurako noticed Yui coming their way. Smirking, she nudged her best friend. "Hey, look. It's her. That slut who had the audacity to sit with Oikawa-san. Why don't we mess with her a little bit? Put her in her place."

"We'll show her not to mess with Naoko-sama's man," agreed Marina.

"Oi!" Sakurako marched up to the girl, who was looking down at the floor. "Who do you think you are, huh, bitch? Did you think we didn't notice you drooling all over Oikawa-san like that?" She raised her hand to maybe shove her around a little, but Yui caught her wrist with terrifying ease. "Huh?"

Then Yui peered up at her with the promise of a painful death in her eyes as she pushed her arm away. " _Oi. I'm about to blow. Get out of my fucking way_."

 _Sc-scary!_ Marina and Sakurako thought at the same time, stepping back.

Cowed, the two girls let Yui—radiating an intense and dark aura—pass without anymore trouble.

"Bee-chan," Sakurako sniffled later on. "Why does it feel like we never win?"

* * *

Akizuki Sakurako was the kind who walked all over people. But she knew where she stood, and never caused trouble with those who were of higher social standing than her. She had sailed through high school as a mean girl, but lately...

Okabe Yui had been showing up all over the place.

And Sakurako _hated_ her.

Hated her for sitting with the boy she liked. Hated her for laughing and eating with him.

 _I'll show her,_ she vowed bitterly. _I'll show all of them!_

And so she went to see Yui in her class—went to lure her outside and have a few words with her. She didn't bring Marina with her—her best friend was too busy stalking Makoshima Naoko to go along with her this time.

But to her surprise, Yui stood and greeted her with a smile before she could even get any words out.

"Ah! Akizuki-san! Just the person I wanted to see."

Sakurako almost broke out in cold sweat as she remembered this morning. She shook her head. _No! That was just a one-time incident! I won't let her walk all over me again!_

The two girls walked out to the hallway and to the front of a lesser-used bathroom. Many alpha girls had cornered their prey here before—and if Sakurako was going to have it her way, it would happen again.

Sakurako sneered. "Listen, you—"

But Yui talked over her, stretching out her hand. "I wanted to give you this."

Sakurako blinked down at the bottle of medicine. "Huh?"

"I see you around a lot," Yui admitted truthfully. "You're always in the bathroom gossiping with Beppu-san, but... I never actually see you go into any of the stalls."

"Wh... What are you saying?"

Yui pointed at the inconspicuous bottle she had given her. "These are laxatives. You'll have nice, normal shits for the rest of the week instead of being constipated. I'll see you around, Akizuki-san!" With that, she skipped off, humming a jolly tune under her breath.

 _What..._ Sakurako looked down at the bottle. Now that she thought about it, what had Okabe Yui ever done to her? All she had was something that Sakurako could never obtain... She hadn't actually done anything wrong. She squeezed the bottle. _Okabe-san..._ Tears ran down her face. _She's so kind! What the hell?!_ _I haven't shat in a week!_

Without wasting anymore time, Sakurako disappeared into the bathroom and did not emerge until the end of school.

When she finally came out, jaws dropped.

Never had anyone seen Sakurako look so light and refreshing, her mouth curled up in a pretty smile instead of her usual sneer.

"S-Sakurako-chan," Marina stammered as the bell rang to dismiss the students. "What happened to you?"

"Today is a beautiful day!" Sakurako sighed dreamily. "I haven't felt this light in so long! Everyone is beautiful! Woohoo!"

* * *

Iwaizumi gave Yui a fondly exasperated look as they walked out of the gate together. "Why do you look so smug today?"

"Oh, nothing," Yui said innocently. "I just helped a fairy who couldn't go to the toilet."

"... Huh?"


	9. evening outing (1)

**ix. evening outing (1)**

There was a lot to do in town. They could head to the arcade, the karaoke club, or even an archery range. There were a multitude of restaurants to choose from, too—from the humble ramen bar to the spicy barbecue diner.

 _An evening together, just the five of us._ Yui closed her journal, basking in the icy breeze that caressed her cheeks. There was no season she loved better than winter—the end and the beginning.

 _People like to say that graduation is a new start... But for me, it's also the end of a very important chapter in my life._ She took a deep breath, flipping through her journal. Yui smiled—smiled at the dozens of entries that she had made from the beginning of high school till now. Though some days had been monotone and humdrum, she could safely say that these were some of the best years in her life.

_There'll be a lot of people I won't see ever again after high school ends..._

Yui rolled her chair back, tapping her fingers on the armrest.

_I know I'll hate myself forever if I don't tell him how I feel._

Then she laughed, leaning forward once more to write a new diary entry.

_What's more classic than a high school confession anyway?_

_But in any case..._

_If we never see each other again, I'll miss all of you!_

* * *

"Oh? An evening outing?" Naoko blew on her hot doughnuts before tossing them in her mouth. She and Oikawa were on a date at the park, and had stopped by a doughnut vendor.

Oikawa gaped at her haphazard eating. "Aren't those still boiling hot for you, Mako-chan? Every time I do that I just end up burning my tongue."

She smirked. "It's a skill I've mastered. But what was this about an evening outing?"

"Oh yeah!" Oikawa took a tiny nibble of his food, wincing at how warm it felt against his teeth. _Seriously, Mako-chan must have magic powers or something to withstand this heat..._ "Iwa-chan and Okabe-chan from his class are organizing a meet-up this Saturday."

"Okabe-chan..." Naoko tilted her head. "Doesn't ring a bell. Oh, wait. Is that the girl he likes?"

" _Yes_ , Mako-chan." Affectionately, he poked her head. "You're so out of it sometimes. But it's cute, don't worry."

"Are you going to eat those doughnuts?"

Oikawa whined, and Naoko rolled her eyes before smiling, entwining their fingers together. Wearing their winter coats, they languidly made their way through the frost-covered park. It was a grey afternoon.

"So," Oikawa began. "I'll be graduating soon." He cast her a side smile. "Will you miss me?"

Naoko looked up at him. "I'll be too busy celebrating my newfound peace and quiet for that. That aside," she added swiftly before Oikawa could get all dejected, "Yeah, I'll miss you. But it's just high school, not the end of the world. Besides," Naoko squeezed his hand, and he felt blood rushing to his cheeks, "You said you would marry me one day. I'm still holding you on that."

Without warning, Oikawa leaned down and pecked her quickly on the lips.

She almost fell backward. "Wh—Shittykawa! Give me a warning, next time!"

Oikawa laughed. "I'll really miss you, Mako-chan. Being here with you... It's like a dream I don't want to end."

"Silly." Naoko leaned into him. "It's real."

The words didn't need to be spoken.

_I don't want it to end either._

* * *

"Well, graduation is next week." Aoi yawned as she stretched with Yui. "I can't believe it—time's flown so fast..."

It was Saturday morning, the day of their night outing. The two were currently doing morning radio calisthenics, and the podcast was currently in its break segment and encouraging everyone to relax their muscles.

"Don't remind me," groaned Yui before chugging water from her bottle.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you. You might get a stitch in your side."

Yui pouted. "Don't care! It's important to stay hydrated. But about that boy you like..."

"Oh, I don't like him anymore." Aoi waved her hand dismissively. "I caught him picking his nose the other day and it was like realizing that Santa Claus doesn't exist."

"Ah. Wait, what do you mean he doesn't exi—"

"The program's back on! Chop, chop, get to it, Okayui-chan!"

"Gaaahhh, I have a stitch!"

"I told you so!"

* * *

Iwaizumi Satoshi deadpanned at the sight in front of him—his older brother, shirtless for whatever reason, dunking his face into a bucket of ice cold water in the bathroom. "Uh. Hajime, what're you doing?"

Whatever Iwaizumi said was muffled by the water.

"I need to piss, can you leave?"

At that, Iwaizumi emerged, his teeth chattering and his brow lowered in a fierce glare. "Use the one downstairs, you little troll!"

"Dad just pooped in that one! What are you even doing?!"

"None of your business!"

Satoshi narrowed his eyes. Then, he smirked, realization dawning on him. "You're totally gonna confess to someone."

Iwaizumi choked, pushing his hair out of his eyes with one hand. "How did you...?!"

"You just told me! Bahaha!"

"You evil brat!"

Cackling, Satoshi dodged Iwaizumi's arms. "Better do it fast before your nerve disappears! You'll be in college before you know it, bro."

Grumbling, Iwaizumi gave up on strangling the little demon and instead grabbed a towel to dry his head off. "You don't need to tell me that." _Graduation is next week. I don't have much time._

He sighed, ignoring the look Satoshi gave him before his younger brother disappeared into the bathroom and slammed the door shut. Iwaizumi trudged down to his room, grabbing his white shirt from off his bed and slipping it on.

 _Tonight,_ he vowed.

* * *

 _Tonight,_ she promised.

* * *

_I'll tell you how I feel._


	10. evening outing (2)

**x. evening outing (2)**

It was a chilly evening when the five met up, all wrapped up in their winter coats. Oikawa had gone all out, it seemed, wearing a set of fluffy earmuffs and an equally fluffy scarf. Aoi was standing under a leafless tree, texting on her flip phone, when she saw Oikawa and Iwaizumi coming toward her with Naoko sandwiched in the middle. The set-up look strangely warm, and Aoi shivered, suddenly feeling the cold.

"Penguins, the lot of you," she said in lieu of greeting.

"Hello to you, too, Aoi-chan." Oikawa grinned. "You've met Mako-chan, right?"

Introductions were passing between the two when a frantic footfall reached their ears. Iwaizumi peered around Oikawa's head to see Yui sprinting up to them in heeled boots. "Hey, everyoneeee!" she greeted excitedly. "Sorry I'm late!" She screeched to a halt, her cheeks flushed as she met Iwaizumi's gaze. "Hi, Iwaizumi-kun. You look nice tonight."

Naoko gave Aoi a look when the other girl clasped her hands over her mouth to control a squeal. "What is it? Heart attack?"

"Okabe-chan," Iwaizumi answered, whipping around to glare at Oikawa when he prodded his back. Clearing his throat, he turned back to Yui, who looked faintly amused. "You look great."

Yui beamed upward at him. "Thank you! Come on," she addressed everyone, pointing at the barbecue restaurant they were standing in front of, "Let's go inside."

"Agreed," Naoko added, power-walking to the door.

"Hungry as always," chuckled Oikawa.

"Starving today. And I'm bringing home leftovers for Tadashi and Sumire, so we're ordering _lots_."

Somehow, the interior of the restaurant led them to feel right and home. The grills made the room warm, and they lowered themselves into seiza around their table. Naoko and Oikawa were seated together, as were Iwaizumi and Yui. Aoi, the odd one out, rolled her eyes in fond exasperation before sitting herself down next to Yui.

True to her word, Naoko did indeed order many dishes.

" _Six_ plates of okonomiyaki?!" Oikawa almost fainted as he added up the prices in his head. "These are family size! Aren't you the one that's always going on about money?"

"Shut up and order, I saved up from my jobs to pay my part."

"You're so greedy, Mako-chan! Why would you want this stuff when you have me?"

"I am many things, but a cannibal is not one of them. You'd probably be stringy anyway."

As Oikawa spluttered and Naoko smirked slyly, Yui was leaning toward Iwaizumi, eyes round as she surveyed the menu he was holding. "Do you wanna get that cut of meat? The oyster blades?"

"Those are unseasoned," Iwaizumi pointed out. "We should get the marinated versions."

"Ah, good idea!"

Oikawa piped up, "Ah, Iwa-chan? Can I talk to you for a sec? In the bathroom maybe?"

Iwaizumi glanced at Yui, then at his best friend. Nodding, he stood. "'Kay, let's go."

* * *

"Alright." The first thing Oikawa did when they were alone was grin obnoxiously and put his hands on Iwaizumi's shoulders. "Things are going well! She's so into you, Iwa-chan, I can hardly believe my eyes!" Sniffling dramatically, he turned away. "Soon, he'll be having kid after kid after kid..."

Deadpanning, Iwaizumi slapped him upside the head. "Stop that, idiot."

"Alright, alright." Oikawa chuckled. "But anyway... I'm happy for you, Iwa-chan. You _are_ gonna confess, right? Otherwise this whole thing would've been a waste of time."

"I will!" snapped Iwaizumi, wiping his sweaty palms on his jeans. "First Satoshi, and now you..."

"Aha! Your little brother knows, too? You're terrible at keeping secrets. But," Oikawa whacked him on the back, a small smile on his face, "I'm rooting for you Iwa-chan."

Iwaizumi took a deep breath. "Thanks. Let's go back—the others are probably wondering where we are."

Oikawa fidgeted. "Just a minute, I gotta pee. Wait, where are you going?!"

"Uh, out?"

"Stay with me!"

"Why the fuck would I wanna do that?"

* * *

Once dinner was finished, the group of five headed out with full stomachs and satisfied sighs. "Well!" Oikawa said loudly. "Mako-chan and I are gonna go buy some doughnuts. Aoi-chan, come with us?"

Equally as loud, Aoi replied, "Of course! I can't wait to get me some doughnuts!" Not so subtle, she mouthed "good luck" to Yui.

"Hurry up, I want doughnuts," Naoko urged, tapping her foot impatiently. In one hand, she carried a plastic bag filled with takeaway boxes.

Iwaizumi and Yui stared after their friends as they walked away in huge strides, leaving them alone.

"Why don't we take a walk?" Iwaizumi suggested finally, looking away a little shyly after catching himself staring at her face for too long.

Yui nodded, unable to fight off a smile. "Sure. They probably won't miss us."

They walked in silence.

"So," Yui began. "Graduation, huh? Are you excited?"

"I guess," Iwaizumi told her, halfhearted. "I haven't really thought about it. What about you?"

"Well..." Yui glanced upward at the moon, uncertainty reflected in her honey eyes. "I'm not really looking forward to it, to be honest. I really like high school. I like hanging out with you, and Minacchi, and Oikawa. I know that Minacchi is going to Todai while I'm staying here for Tohoku... And you..." she trailed off.

"Oikawa's going to Argentina to train."

That had Yui doing a double-take. "W-what? Seriously? That's all the way across the globe..."

Iwaizumi laughed. "It's just like him. He's obsessed with volleyball. He's kind of a pain in the ass that way... But yeah," he said. "I know how you feel. I've known him for so long, and we've always been together. Don't tell him I said this, but I don't want him to go that far away." Iwaizumi scratched the back of his head, a little sheepish. "You said you're going to Tohoku, right?"

"Yep."

"I'm going there, too."

They slowed to a stop, turning to face each other. Yui blinked up at him, surprised. Then she softened. "Iwaizumi-kun. I have something to tell you." Before he could say anything, she slipped her backpack off her shoulders and held it in front of her so that he could see it. She pointed at the silver star. "Do you remember this? You gave it to me a month ago."

"You kept it?" Iwaizumi's fingers grazed against the plastic sticker.

"Mmhm. Do you remember... When you asked what my wish was? I'm ready to tell you now. It was for the courage to tell you that I like you. And it came true." Yui broke out into a wide grin. "I like you, Iwaizumi Hajime."

At first, Iwaizumi didn't say anything. Then he exhaled sharply and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Dammit."

"Ah. You don't like me back? That's fine—"

"No!" Iwaizumi burst out, backpedaling frantically. "That's not it at all! Shit, sorry," he took a deep breath and wrapped his calloused hands around her soft, dainty ones, "Okabe. _Yui_. You beat me to it." Another sigh. "Dammit. What I want to say is—I like you, too."

Yui stared up at him. Then, without saying anything, she launched herself against him, holding him tightly. Iwaizumi embraced her in return, all the tension melting from his body as he felt the warmth of her body against his chest.

"I can't believe I'm saying this," Iwaizumi groaned when they parted, "But I might actually owe Oikawa one."

"Yep. Me with Minacchi, too. But what about Makoshima?"

"She only tagged along for the food. Trust me, we owe her nothing."

Under the moon and a leafless tree, they shared a laugh.


	11. our graduation

**xi. our graduation**

The third years' graduation was in late February. The graduation song was sung in the hall, which felt like an ice box thanks to the broken heating system. But still, the students trudged forward, making do with hats, coats, and scarves. Oikawa threw a wink and an air kiss at Naoko, which many female fans misinterpreted as being for them. For twenty seconds, the audience erupted into happy squealing. Naoko merely caught the kiss and pressed her hand against her heart, smiling knowingly.

And then, just like that, the ceremony was over.

The students were evacuated outside, and Naoko converged with her third year friends for one more time.

"Aww, we'll miss you!" Yui saw Akiyama Midori from the drama club sobbing as she draped herself over Naoko's shoulder like a lazy cat. "Take good care of the club when we're gone!"

Yui stood with Aoi, who couldn't hold back tears, watching the scene unfold. Then someone appeared next to her, and she grinned when she saw it was Iwaizumi. "Hey, you."

Iwaizumi ruffled her hair, which had miraculously combed today. "Hey. So everything's all over, huh?"

"Yep. Everything's all over."

"Iwa-chaaaann!" That was Oikawa. A sobbing mess, he threw himself at Iwaizumi. "I can't believe we're graduating! Class of 2012! It feels so unreal."

Grinning impishly, Yui and Aoi both patted him on the back as Iwaizumi tried to pry his best friend off him.

"There, there," simpered Aoi, as if she hadn't been crying just moments before. "Hey, your girlfriend's looking over here. Go bother her instead of Okayui's man."

Sniffling, Oikawa unlocked Iwaizumi from his grip and shuffled over to Naoko, who was standing with her pale-haired brother.

"Come on, let's go," Iwaizumi said eventually, intertwining his fingers with Yui. On her left, Aoi nodded, looping her arm around Yui's. "Oikawa's going to get hit by a bus if we don't get moving. Yui."

"Hm?"

Iwaizumi smiled. "Thanks. For making high school fun. Ah." He peered around her to see Aoi. "You too, Aoi-san."

Aoi chortled. "Oh, save it."

"I had a great time, too," Yui admitted, unable to help a grin. "So thanks, guys!"

Idly, they took their time as they walked toward the school gates for the last time as students.

As they passed through, Yui glanced back once, her face unreadable. Then her features softened, and her smile returned.

_Goodbye, and thank you for the memories._

**end.**


End file.
